Randy Couture signs new 3 fight contract with UFC

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

I'm interested to see if Couture can take a punch from Lesnar.

If Brock can connect with a punch like he hit Herring with, then Randy is in big trouble. The key is Lesnar being able to actually connect at all. If Lesnar can, which is by no means certain, then it could be a fight deciding move.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

Randy's head movement will give Brock fits just like it did for Sylvia. If Brock can hit, he does big damage, but he has to hit first.

 

Stand up, the advantage lies with Randy unless that one big punch hits. I don't see Randy surviving that big of a punch. The only reason Herring did is because he's a stupid tough fucker, and the only reason Mir did is the punches standing weren't flush.

 

A straight with Brock's power behind it would likely drop Randy. Maybe not put him out, but it'll do massive damage.

 

Randy's a smart man. He realized he was never winning this lawsuit, but then realized he can get another big profile fight, a big time payday, AND fight someone he probably heavily respects. On top of that, he really had UFC over the barrel in terms of agreements for this fight because UFC desperately needed a main event.

 

If Randy wins this, then beats the winner of Mir/Nog, then he's pretty much cemented himself as one of the truly legendary figures in modern sports. If he loses...then really? It doesn't hurt him. He's Randy fucking Couture. He's old, and yet he stepped in and faced someone as scary as Brock that no one else really wanted to fight.

 

It's win win for Couture, regardless of how this plays out.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

This is going to be the ultimate test of Randy's gameplan skills. Brock is bigger, stronger, faster, a better wrestler and has big power in his hands. Basically Randy has the experience advantage and that's about it (I don't count submission skills because he never uses them). I loves me some Handy but this could get ugly for him if it's established early-on that Brock can bullrush him with takedowns and top control.*

 

*Waits for Randy to drop Lesnar like he did Sylvia and proceed to dominate for 5 rounds.

[Warriorfan 0]

This is going to be the ultimate test of Randy's gameplan skills. Brock is bigger, stronger, faster, a better wrestler and has big power in his hands. Basically Randy has the experience advantage and that's about it (I don't count submission skills because he never uses them). I loves me some Handy but this could get ugly for him if it's established early-on that Brock can bullrush him with takedowns and top control.*

 

*Waits for Randy to drop Lesnar like he did Sylvia and proceed to dominate for 5 rounds.

 

I think those knees Herring gave Brock on the chin flush with no results says something about Lesnar's chin.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

On the conference call, Dana said they were looking for a couple of 24/7-style shows on Spike to build this up.

 

I will be stunned if this does less than 1,000,000 buys.

[Mik 0]

They absolutely need to do 24/7 for the big fights. Are you kidding me? Those type of shows make people on the fence want to buy. I'm not even a boxing fan AT ALL and I wanted to buy Hatton/Mayweather after watching two of the 24/7 shows when I was bored one afternoon.

 

They should be doing a 24/7 type deal at least 3-4 times a year for the big big fights.

[NoCalMike 0]

Brock with his sheer size & strength is going to be a problem for anyone, no matter what their skills are. When you are Brock's size, all it takes is a mere takedown and it might render the guy on the bottom useless.

 

Now, with that said, that isn't to say Brock is going to win and look good. I could very well see Brock bring his usual boring, "takedown-lay around-hammerfist" fest, but because he is so big & strong it would be hard for even Couture to get Brock's massive body off of him so it is possible he will be rendered helpless under Brock. Coutore could lose without even being really hurt, Brock's size & strength make him a pain to deal with unless he is facing someone with the striking power/skills to knock Brock out or threaten to every time Brock tries to come and shoot in.

 

I don't wanna come off sounding to down on Brock Lesner. I mean the guy is a virtual baby in the sport and he has plenty of time to round out his game and get way better.

[Youth N Asia 0]

Watching the World Series of Poker and they just ran on the scroll that Randy was coming back to fight Brock

[Lei Tong 0]

I'm not seeing where the whole idea that Brock is some murderous puncher is coming from. Dropping/beating up on Herring isn't anything special, so I see no reason to beleive he's a bigger puncher than a prime Rizzo, who had trouble KO'ing Randy.

 

That being said, Brock probably wins by simply being ridiculously bigger, which will be the deciding factor in the takedown exchanges (despite what everyone seems to think, the applicable wrestling skill probably goes to Randy, and he already beat a better wrestler in Kevin Randleman), allowing Brock to take advantage of Randy being a wrestler on his back before the reverse happens. And while Brock doesn't have more than even rudimentary ground and pound at his disposal on the mat, it's probably enough to wear Randy down before Brock gasses. Yes, Randy will probably land a good deal more standing, and Brock's eyes-closed response to Herring's flurry doesn't bode well against someone with heavier hands, but Randy simply isn't likely to have the power to hurt Brock significantly before Lesnar bull-rushes him to ground.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Holy shit, for a minute there I thought you actually referenced Kevin Randleman.

 

Oh.....wait. Ya did.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

AND Pedro Rizzo.

[Lei Tong 0]

...with, of course, no actual retort refuting the statements pertaining to either guy. Typical.

[Diamonddust 0]

The storylines/build for this fight will be ridiculous...

 

The Legend vs. The Next Big Thing... It's sheer power and strength vs. experience and strategy.

 

This fight will do an insane amount of business.

 

Personally, I'll be cheering for Lesnar in this one. He'll definitely be getting the heel heat in this one, and I can guarantee he'll play it up even more than he did against Herring. The hatred Brock will generate from this fight will be legendary, and honestly, it's always good to have that one fight people love to hate. The ideal situation for UFC is for Brock to win and for Mir to win in December so they can do Lesnar/Mir II later down the line. Granted, I know they want Randy vs. Fedor but until that's a definite... it's still a pipe dream.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I think Lesnar winning is the best of the two outcomes for UFC. They can still sell a Couture/Nog or whatever fight if Randy loses (and if they ever do get a hold of Fedor that'll sell if he loses too)...and they can brush it all off as Brock just being a freak. Which...helps Brock too.

 

I'll be rooting for Lesnar too. If Nog beats Mir though...I don't like that fight for Brock. You can't stop Nogueria!!!!

[imajackoff? 0]

I'm not seeing where the whole idea that Brock is some murderous puncher is coming from.

 

 

In his 3 fights so far, every time he has punched someone they have gone down. Granted its a small sample group, but it's still a trend that Couture has to account for.

 

Very interesting fight. You look at Lesnar's size, power and speed and you think he has a chance against the 45 yr old Couture that hasn't fought in a year. But, I just cant imagine someone beating Randy Couture in their 4th MMA fight.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

The fact that Brock generates absolutely fearsome power on the ground with very little wind up also supports his punching power. He's shown that in all his fights. He doesn't have to get range or space to generate power. Him hitting you with a straight has to be like getting clocked upside the head with a blunt weapon.

 

People can say he hasn't shown power, or will gas but the fact is the man is just a goddamn freak of nature. He's one of those rare specimens that is just built for combat and high intensity situations. He's very much like a heavyweight GSP in that he just has genetics, and an insane work ethic to go along with it. His sheer athletic ability and background will carry him pretty far despite his lack of skills.

 

Brock got a little tired against Herring, but never in any situation where he was in danger. It's far more likely that Couture gasses out before Brock does if either does. Randy got tired against Sylvia in what was mostly a stand up fight in the later rounds where he was winning easily. He'll have someone of Sylvia's size crushing him under his 280+ pound frame for a significant portion of time.

 

You could always ask Herring's face how it was doing too on the power issue. I'd figure it would tell you it wasn't having a good day at the end of that fight. Or Mir's...Or the Korean who panicked and tapped immediately.

[Lei Tong 0]

You could always ask Herring's face how it was doing too on the power issue. I'd figure it would tell you it wasn't having a good day at the end of that fight. Or Mir's...Or the Korean who panicked and tapped immediately.

 

If you hold almost anyone down and land clean shots to their face, of course they're going to show. I mean seriously, you're holding up MIR's visage as some sort of measure of a guy's punching power? I'm pretty certain that Pe de fuckin' Pano is not a great example of a massive ground & pounder. And Kim Min Soo? What does that fight prove except that fat judoka often tap quickly when mounted? And besides that, it's not like he actually, you know, FINISHED either Mir or Herring with his massive punching power.

 

Does the guy hit hard? Yes. Has he proven himself to be a KO puncher? Not in the least, which seems to run opposite of what's being thrown around here. In general, the amount of hype being generated would make one think that Aleksandr Karelin circa '97 was competing (which, of course, would be the greatest news ever).

[Mik 0]

[NoCalMike 0]

So if Lesnar beats Randy, and Dana White manages to sign Fedor, do they jump right into Lesnar v. Fedor?

 

I would question Brock's assertion of "who fucking cares about Fedor" As I think most MMA fans do care and want him in the UFC. If that happens, Brock better start caring about Fedor.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

They'd pretty much have to do either Fedor/Brock or Nog/Brock.

 

Or, barring a monumental upset a rematch between Brock and his old buddy Frank Mur.

[Mik 0]

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/video?id=3566944

 

Already a 3 plus minute live segment on Sportscenter with both Brock and Randy... maybe more then I think I've ever seen them do for MMA.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I won't know what to think if Brock wins. I guess it depends on how, actually. If he shows up with new skills and a smart gameplan I'll applaud him. If it's a LnP victory due to size and strength....not so much.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

Tong, really on the power issue you're splitting hairs.

 

Brock had no stand up training before turning to MMA. In both his UFC fights, he dropped highly experienced at one time top heavyweights with punches. In Mir's case, I believe it was twice. The fact that he's doing that with *JUST* power and no form shows how powerful his punches are.

 

He's a more talented Sapp at this point. Brock's punches are incredibly strong. However, he still hasn't fully learned how to control them or how to set them up. With Mir, Mir wasn't hit fully but still crumbled. With Herring, Herring just survived because that's what he does. Brock hit Herring hard enough to basically break his orbital bone if I remember right. Herring's said from that point on he was working with one eye. THAT is power. No matter how you slice it, that is incredible punching power from one punch.

 

You could argue that it was lucky punches, but to say that he doesn't have the power to finish people off when he's learned to control them is silly if you ask me.

 

And on the Fedor/Brock thing...I'm not a huge Fedor fan, but as a PRIDE fanboy (Admited many times), I see Fedor as kind of the...symbol of PRIDE so I have an attachment to him. Having said that, no one really cares about Fedor. Fedor never drew in Japan. In fact PRIDE actively wanted Nog or Mirko to dethrone him since they were better draws. Unless UFC put the biggest hype they've ever done on him, he won't draw in the US. Affliction more or less proved he has no power himself.

 

Brock/Randy is a much bigger fight business wise then Randy/Fedor would be. No matter what country it was held in. Don't underestimate the fact that Brock can cut promos. It'll help.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Brock/Randy is a much bigger fight business wise then Randy/Fedor would be. No matter what country it was held in. Don't underestimate the fact that Brock can cut promos. It'll help.

Brock definitely knows how to generate interest and reactions from people. Witness message board geeks from Sherdog and beyond melting down over the remarks about Fedor.

 

As for Fedor signing with the UFC, I don't see it ever happening. I don't think either side will back down on what is surely the key sticking point, exclusivity.

[Lei Tong 0]

Tong, really on the power issue you're splitting hairs.

 

The only thing I'm taking issue with is that people seem to have the impression that Brock is going to put Randy onto queer street the first time he lands a decent punch. You yourself said Randy could not have survived the punch Herring took from Lesnar, which is a ridiculous statement since there's pretty much no evidence that Herring has a better chin than Randy. There's always the chance that Randy has simply reached the point in his career that his chin has "cracked," as happens to boxers, but there's been no real indications so far.

 

I think my annoyance over the hyperbole being thrown around about Lesnar is exacerbated by the fact that it detracts attention from guys who are currently much more important players in the division (Nogueira, Werdum, Gonzaga, and even Velasquez).

[Lil' Bitch 0]

All the stats (height, weight, age, reach) say this is Lesner's fight, but lets face it, this is not the first time Randy has gone against a seemingly insurmountable opponent, and more often than he's come out on top. Ring (or in this case, Octagon) savy and strategy will win this fight, something Randy has bucket loads of, although I can see Lesnar winning by TKO in the 3rd round.

 

Can't fucking wait!

[Rendclaw 0]

Even for me, a slightly more than casual MMA fan, I recognize that this is about the biggest thing for UFC.

 

I may be buying into Brock playing the heel, but every time I hear the man speak, I want someone to beat his head in. He needs a little bit of humbling. I just don;t know if Randy can do it after being off for a year. If anyone could it would be Randy, but Brock has frightening strength which will be even more scary when he learns how to properly apply it, both in the stand up and ground games.

 

I don't know about any of you, but Dana putting his hand on Randy's knee while he was doing a phone interview was a bit disturbing to me. Its business sure, but there still has to be some unresolved issues between those two.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

*Pictures Randy lighting up Chuck with uppercuts*

 

*Pictures Randy spanking Tito*

 

*Pictures Randy pwning Sylvia*

 

Yeah, I'd say if there's a guy out there who could dish out a humbling to Brock it'd be Randy.

[Hawkius Maximus 0]

UFC is in a kind of...pandora's box already with this fight.

 

They have PPV's and shows inbetween now and that fight...but already no one gives a fuck about them. All the hype is already on Brock/Randy.

 

I don't expect good buyrates for the next two UFC's at all, unless this fight has created some kind of surge in interest. Meltzer was probably right when he said many fans will simply hold off on buying PPV's until Randy/Brock, figuring that it's the "big fight".

 

On the plus side, all the ad time for this time already shows that the media is VERY interested. That is very, very good. Even without the media, this would be a strong fight, but with the media the sky is the limit.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Using Randleman and Rizzo as examples is kinda silly because of what wildly inconsistent flakes they are. Silly. Though, specifically speaking, Randy has proven to take a shot as well as go toe-to-toe with other highly regarded wrestlers.